The end of the year is a good time to give your financial life a once-over and see what changes need to be made. One item not to forget in that review: your bank. Answering these questions will help you determine whether your money is in the right place, or if it's time for a strategic withdrawal.
Still banking at one of the "too big to fail" institutions? According to Bank Deals blog and DepositAccounts.com, for the best yields on checking, savings and CDs, you'd do better looking locally. For example, consider these three deals available right now.
Credit unions, mid-size banks and online institutions are eagerly stepping up to capture banking customers who are fed up with increasing fees at the biggest banks. And so far, it seems, those big banks don't mind losing their business.
Interest rates for 30 year fixed-rate mortgages have fallen to record lows, but consumers can get even better deals -- at smaller banks and credit unions. Find out why.
Big national banks get the attention, but it turns out that small banks are more interested in snapping up failed former rivals than their larger competitors. Some 46% of small banks say they're keen on bidding for failed banks' assets, compared with just 36% of large banks.
